Rounds per reload: 500
Damage: 25, not counting subsequent damage from prolonged burning
Friday, December 24, 2010
Flame Thrower
Rounds per reload: 500
Damage: 25, not counting subsequent damage from prolonged burning
Remote Explosives
AKA satchel bombs, players can throw a number of these about, then conveniently blow them all up later with the separate remote. The potential for mischief with these things is only limited by the imagination, well, and the CPU's ability to remember where they're at, but, still... On a mission where you have to ambush and kill a ped or destroy their car? Try figuring out where they'll pass, and set up a nice booby trap for them! Or if you suspect the next corner you're to walk around has enemies waiting for you, throw down a few bombs, run in, and lure them out to an explosive doom. Any way you look at it, there's much fun to be had here.
Tear Gas
In real life, tear gas is generally considered to be a non-lethal weapon, but in the world of GTA, it's anything but. Granted, it does take prolonged exposure to the gas to kill, but in confined spaces, this can be arranged. However, seeing as the gas causes people to stop what their doing while they cover their face and cough, the most practical use for this weapon is to slow enemies down while you escape or switch to another weapon. In any case, this stuff opens up some strategy options when it otherwise seems you're hopelessly outgunned.
Grenade
Long carried by infantry soldiers to aid in removal of pesky hardened positions and enemies hiding behind things, grenades are quite simple in theory. Step 1: pull pin, step 2: throw, and step 3: try not to be nearby when they explode. When used properly, grenades do a bang-up job of taking out cars (and anybody who might use them for cover) and clearing out closed in areas filled with opponents. When used improperly on the other hand, you can just as easily blow yourself up and/or any cars nearby you may be using for cover. If you're not careful, you might also end up causing a chain reaction in congested areas which ends with exploded cars all about and lots of police attention. But then, that may very well be the desired effect in some cases...
Molotov Cocktail
The idea behind these things is simple enough: Take a glass bottle, fill it with something flammable (usually petrol), shove a rag in the top, light the rag on fire, and give it a toss. Flaming chaos ensues. The primary purpose is, of course, an anti-personnel weapon, but it can also be used strategically for defense. One of the new features found in San Andreas is the ability to set the environment on fire, and the ability for that fire to continue to burn- and even spread in most cases. In the event you ever find yourself facing multiple enemies coming at you from a single choke point (such as a door or alleyway), a well placed molotov can be used to effectively block their route. With a wall of flames between you and them, they'll either be forced to brave the fire (usually with rather fatal results) or wait and shoot from where they're at. If they're smart enough to choose the latter, you can keep your distance and shoot from your somewhat defended position. Or, you could always just toss a few more in hopes of burning the lot of them. With these (and any other thrown weapon), the longer you hold the circle button, the farther they will go when released.
Sniper Rifle
For those times when the regular or assault rifles aren't accurate enough, there's the sniper rifle. While the HUD icon for it bares some resemblance to an HK PSG1, the in-game model is of the old school bolt-action variety. That said, the reload time on this weapon is a little bit longer than the regular rifle, but the addition of a scope makes every shot well worth the wait. Press and hold R1 to bring up the scope, then use R2 and L2 to zoom in and out, and of course the right analog stick to line up the shot. Once your unsuspecting, distant target is in the crosshairs, circle or L1 unleashes a powerful round (rivaled only by the leveled-up Desert Eagle and mini-gun) which can take an opponent's head clean off from as far as the scope will see. And, like the other guns, crouching will provide a more stable position to fire from. If need be, you can also roll to the sides and move forward and backwards while using the scope in this position, although navigation and keeping a target lined up this way takes a bit of practice and stick juggling.
Rifle
Not much to say about this one really. It's just a basic lever-action repeater rifle one might expect to see in the hands of a hunter or a cowboy. Hitting R1 with this won't invoke an auto-target reticle, but instead skips straight to a free-aim mode like that of its assault flavored brethren. Given its lack of a lock-on feature and slow reloading, one might think it rather pointless to use. However, with a per-bullet damage rate second only to the sniper rifle, mini-gun, and Desert Eagle (at Gangster level and up), it does earn its keep in the hands of a decent marksman. For added accuracy, be sure to crouch when lining up a shot.
AK-47
The Kalashnikov AK47 is one, if not the most popular varieties of assault rifles in the world. Originally developed for the Soviet army, it features a rugged yet simple design which makes it both cheap to produce and highly versatile on the battlefield. Its durability and affordability have also made even older, used models popular for warring gangs. For the most part, it works just like the M4 in the game, only with a smaller magazine size, and perhaps a little better accuracy due to its slightly slower rate of fire. The AK47, and the M4 above, both have an impressive range on them, which allows for locking onto targets and taking them out before they pose an immediate threat. After reaching Hitman status with either assault rifle, you'll be able to move about and strafe a bit while firing, with an extended lock-on range to boot.
